Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton: on Civil Rights

Hillary Clinton: 1988: Instituted gender diversity Report Card within ABA

The commission held hearings and found widespread discrimination and after one year issued a report urging the bar association to publicly recognize that gender bias exists in the profession and to begin to eliminate it.

The ABA responded to the work of Hillary’s commission by adopting a resolution that committed the association and its members to “refuse to participate in, acquiesce in, or condone barriers to the full integration and equal participation of women in the legal profession.“ The voice vote of approval was unanimous. Hillary told the delegates, ”Despite the progress that has been made, there still exist instances of subtle discrimination against women.“ In 1991, the group created the Goal IX Report Card, an annual accounting designed to measure the progress of women in the association.

Hillary Clinton: 1995: Politely criticized China’s human rights

Hillary’s idealistic aims were tempered by her pragmatic politics. She did not name the host country or any other country in her speech, though she was aware of China’s efforts to muzzle opponents. Even after the Chinese government blacked out her speech on the closed-circuit TV in the hall, she said nothing.

Hillary told CNN that she had been referring to violations by China. But Bill, eager to improve ties with Beijing, insisted “there was no attempt to single any country out.”

The Beijing speech became, Hillary wrote, “a manifesto for women all over the world.” Indeed, her message was beamed all over the world. Her speech lifted her “from being a really first-rate First Lady,” observed Donna Shalala, “to being an extraordinary one.”